The roadshow for promoting the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week started at Confindustria Bergamo.

The aim of the meeting was to give an overview of the China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week –2017edition and of the Exploratory research on entrepreneurial interests in China held by the China-Italy Technology Transfer Center (CITTC) in collaboration with Confindustria Bergamo.

The first speech was delivered by Giovanna Ricuperati of Confindustria Bergamo who highlighted the importance of this event and its impact on the territory, especially in terms of networking opportunities between enterprises and Italian and Chinese institutions.

During the event the Scientific CounsellorCao Jianye and the First Secretary Yao Liangjun from the Chinese Embassy in Italy delivered a speech about the collaboration in S&T and innovation between Italy and China. The First Secretary explained in detail the national development strategies in innovative and new technologies sectors. Moreover, he highlighted the importance of strategic joint research projects between Italy and China, then he focused the attention on the side events that will be held in Chengdu in the Sichuan province and Guiyang in the Guizhou province.

“The China-Italy Science, Technology & Innovation Week, is a matchmaking event held once a year alternatively in Italy and in China with the aim of promoting the internationalization of research and innovative systems between both countries” – affirmed Chiara Maiorino, Coordinator of the China-Italy Technology Transfer Center (CITTC) at Città della Scienza of Naples. “This year the event will be held in China, from 13 to 17 November, in Beijing, Chengdu and Guiyang, in the presence of Ministers Valeria Fedeli and Wan Gang, following the successful format with institutional sessions, thematic seminars, one-to-one meetings and visits to centers of excellence in strategic area for the development of China.”

Promoted in Italy by the Minister of Education, University and Research and coordinated by Città della Scienza in collaboration with the National Research Council, Confindustria, the main research institutes and the National Technological Clusters, the event represents an important opportunity for enterprises, universities, research centers and startups that want to introduce their technologies and build scientific, productive and commercial partnerships.

“The CITTC’s aims are awareness, training and technological transfer – as Sergio Cavalieri, Rector’s delegate for the technology transfer, innovation and research valorization of University of Bergamo stated – these type of initiatives have to be supported and promoted all over our countries. Our activities have a win-win approach and aim at linking entrepreneurial entities with the academic ones. This objective can be reached through internships and training on the job experiences in enterprises, that lead to the acquisition of specific competences and that enrich both sides involved.”

In conclusion, Vittorio Zanetti from the University of Bergamo presented Exploratory research on entrepreneurial interests in China, conducted by the CITTC – between July and September 2017 – through interviews to SMEs located in Bergamo and China that work in the manufacturing sector and that entrepreneurial interest in China. It is a preliminary research that highlighted the problems emerged in both the relations between enterprises and China and the support received in this context, with a vademecum of best practices for the SMEs that are now approaching to the Chinese market. In this sense it is important the direct experience of Cesare Sabato from ODL coating, one of the interviewed for the exploratory research: “In order to be competitive on the Chinese market it is necessary to meet Chinese clients’ needs, thus to become partners instead of merely suppliers, this can make the actual difference in our sector.”